


An Unexpected Comfort

by Enderon



Series: Tumblr CR Drabbles [5]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 03:40:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12004236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enderon/pseuds/Enderon
Summary: But it was far easier to stay awake, working on needless extensions, than to face the demons behind his eyelids night after night.





	An Unexpected Comfort

The moon was cresting back down towards the horizon, the faintest hint of morning light creeping up on the opposite side of the sky, and Percival was still in his work shop, swearing and muttering over a particularly tricky piece. It was a  wild idea, to try and use something of a telescope, placed right on top of Bad News, but with some sort of a guiding light within that would help him to mark his targets with far deadlier precision than ever before. He let out a particularly loud swear and stepped back as the magic crystals he was trying to use to produce the light blew up in his hands, waving them up and down a little to try and put out his flaming gloves. 

It wasn’t really like he needed it all that badly; he had astounding aim and almost never missed  a shot, especially when it counted. 

But it was far easier to stay awake, working on needless extensions, than to face the demons behind his eyelids night after night. 

With a determined, and mildly exhausted, huff he strode forward to resume his work. Whether or not he actually needed it, he _would_ get this to work.

Percival startled only a slight bit when he heard the sound of the door creaking open behind him, subtly moving his hand to rest atop Bad News, which was resting on the work bench just in front of him. He tried to keep his shoulders from tensing and to make it look like he was still working, letting this intruder believe that they had the element of surprise so that he himself could catch them off guard. 

“Busy night, huh?” 

But such strategy would not be necessary as the familiar voice reached his ears. 

With a world weary sigh, Percy turned around, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned back against the work bench as he stared down a bemused looking Scanlan. The gnome looked about as tired as Percival felt, and he wondered what in the world could be bringing him of all people here at this time of night.

“What do you want?” Was all he asked, putting on his most unimpressed expression in the hopes that it would drive Scanlan to find his nightly amusement elsewhere. 

“Just wanted to see how my old friendly psychopath was doing,” with a self satisfied chuckle at his own joke, Scanlan’s head swiveled as he looked around the room, “I can’t think of any sane person that would still be up and about at this hour.”

“ _You_ don’t look to be very asleep.” Percy pointed out, letting out another sigh as he resigned himself to having to entertain the gnome for an unknown amount of time. When it came to Scanlan, there was no telling. 

“Like I said. No _sane_ person.” Scanlan threw him a charming grin, and Percy found himself chuckling a bit despite himself. 

With a little ‘ho’ and ‘hum’, Scanlan meandered his way towards Percival and work bench, standing up on his toes to try and get a look at what was on top, though he was proving to be just _too_ short. Feeling a little generous, Percival hoisted the gnome up so that he could sit on the edge of the workbench and see. 

“So, what’s all this for?” He asked, reaching a hand out to grab at one of the crystals and giving Percy a playful pout when he had his hand slapped away. 

“I’m trying to make something of a scope of sorts for Bad News,” picking up the mostly completed telescope portion, he held it so that Scanlan could get  abetter look at it, “If I can accomplish what I’m wanting to then I’ll be ten times more accurate than before.”

Scanlan raised a brow at that. 

“What do you need to be more accurate for?” he wondered, crossing one leg over the other and placing his chin in an open palm, “Any more accurate and you won’t be needing us anymore.”

“I’ll always need you lot.” At that, Percy couldn’t help the small, sentimental smile that came to his face. 

“True. No matter how many bad guys you can take out, you still need someone there to keep you at least relatively sane.” Percival couldn’t find it in himself to disagree with that. 

Looking down, he decided to continue his efforts to get these crystals to work, grabbing two, smaller pieces and trying to get them to fit together in just the right was so as to provide the light he was seeking. 

All was rather quiet for a few moments, rather surprising when Scanlan was present. And something about that bothered Percy. 

“So, what has you up at this hour?” He asked, glancing up a bit to see the edge of dawn light creeping just at his windowsill. 

“………….Probably the same thing as you,” when Percival looked up, Scanlan looked far older and far more tired than he had ever appeared to Percy, “Ghosts.”

Hearing that, the young noble felt an icy chill run through his body as he thought, not of the murderous monsters that had inhabited this very castle not that long ago. But of the monster of black smoke that, not long ago, had inhabited him. 

“It’s hard to sleep, when every time you close your eyes, all you can see is the horrors of the past.” Something in Scanlan’s eyes made Percival think that he wasn’t just talking about Orthax or the Briarwoods. 

Perhaps even the bard carried some baggage, unseen with his charming smile and his unmatched deception. 

Though it was clearly visible tonight. 

Looking out the window and seeing even more of the encroaching dawn light and feeling just that more exhausted, Percy made up his mind. Picking up Scanlan, with a confused ‘oi’ in response to the action, he moved the both of them over to the small cot he kept in the workshop. Lying down, he pulled Scanlan close. 

Scanlan looked very confused and very surprised, before seeming to realize what was happening. With another bemused look, he reached out and removed the glasses from Percy’s face, gently setting them on the floor just above the cot. While he did that, Percy took off his gloves and, not nearly so gently, threw them across the room. 

With that settled, they both settled back down, and Percival closed his eyes. 

The last thing he heard was a familiar tenor hum, before he fell into a peaceful, wondrous sleep.


End file.
